wow saddles - help please!

[Lucie]

Can someone explain wow saddle sizes please?

I've read the damn website's description again and again and feel more clueless than ever :p!

Regular saddle fitting - no problem. But the width Wow saddles go by is what's making my head hurt.
Something about air. . . and air pumps. . . and it's not clear (at least not to me) whether they can be adjusted to fit any horse or not (I'd guess not given that different width sizes are available, but then some areas of the site seem to suggest otherwise).

Any guidance appreciated :o!

[ranee]

http://www.wowsaddles.com/wow/nosaddlefitter.htm
does that help

[DavidH]

The wow saddle can be fitted to pretty much any horse by changing the gullet to adjust the width then adjusting the air in the panels. Changing the gullet takes around 5 minutes. Adjusting the air takes longer as it has to be adjusted to fit horse and rider.

[SBS]

Hi there, I too am wading thru all the wow fitting info- have 2 arriving for trial today from a company called saddles direct, a vsd & a dressage.
Both 2nd hand I hasten to add- in my dreams to be able to afford a new one!
I found my nearest fitter & gave her a ring, she was soooo helpful, this lady only fits wow saddles so is really knowledgable, apparently they have 11 different gullets, which means that yes, they will pretty much fit any horse & the gullets are only around the £11 mark, a qualified fitter will then adjust the flair system to fit your horses shape & conformation.
BTW this company saddles direct may be worth a try, as you pay £15 to pick two saddles from their v v extensive range of styles & fit, then they send them out to you & you can trial them for 3 days. You can then decide if you want to keep one & send the other back, or send them both back & try some others- all for £15, not bad!

[Lucie]

Yes that's a big help thank you everyone :)!

Ranee, I've read that page already, but as I'm only looking at 2nd hand saddles there were afew holes in the mail order page.

[Sammii819]

I suggest you get a WOW saddle fitter to do it for you first then, do it yourself once you've asked them to do it for you. They are helpful. It's easy once you get your head round it.
Do you like the saddles then?
I had a WOW dressage, and just didn't get on with it. Didn't think it was worth the money, now have a Wintec 2000 Pro and love it. Its light and Prince gets on with it too. The WOW saddles tend to be heavy.

[CER1389]

I would get a fitter out who can help set up a WOW saddle for you, that you can have on trial. They are adaptable to prety much any horse - although as will all things you'll find that there are some horses and riders who just don't get on with them.
There should be some contac numbers on their website, so yo could always phone and just speak to someone about any worries you are having, or anythin you don't understand.

[Zingy]

I would get a fitter out who can help set up a WOW saddle for you, that you can have on trial.

Not all fitters do a trial, so don't assume you can have one :)

[Lucie]

As far as the trial goes, I can only (barely :p) afford a second hand one. As far as I know I'll not get a second hand one on trial. Also not sure how I'd go about getting a specific wow fitter out for a 2nd hand saddle?

The thing which attracts me to the wow's are the double stirrup bar. I have very long legs and a bad knee, so to make the long story short, I need my stirrup bar further back than usual.
I tried the Heather Moffet saddle on an EE instructors advice, but we both agreed that for jumping it just wasn't going to work long term (seeing as jumping is the area I'm focused on). People do jump in them - I personally didn't like it.

I'd be interested to hear what you disliked about the wows :)?

[Lgd]

The new WOW competitions are much lighter than the old version. TBH folk get fixated on the weight - my WOW weighs in at 7.5kg (no different to my Barnsby Luxus) and if you think how much rider weight you then plonk on top....!

They also do the club version which is not air flocked (unless you pay extra) but still has the adjustable head plate, comes in £500 cheaper than the competition.

The advantage with the competition version is that you have a huge choice of panel designs, seat design, flap design and colours to choose from.

Both of my own horses have them and the Fell pony I compete also has one. It is also worth contacting FTE (who make the WOWs) as they often have saddles used for demo's available at a cheaper price. They are constantly improving the design so small changes to the current version but enough that they need a new demo model.

I love mine and my horses both go really well in them. My younger mare came on leaps and bounds when she got hers. I was seriously doubting her ability to get past elementary level and within 3 months of getting the saddle she got through to the pet plan area festival finals at medium level. She's just coming back from a 4 month injury break otherwise she would have been out at PSG at the end of this summer.

I actually find other saddles uncomfortable now in comparison. I have an iffy back and have had much less bother since switching to the WOWs. The Albion Tavia had previously as a stop gap absolutely crippled me!

[Sammii819]

I did a demostration day with the bloke from WOW. Brought along my horse he fitted a saddle to her, both a dressage one then changed the flaps for jumping. She can be highly strung but with in two minutes she was bucking and shooting off. He readjusted everything several times but she kept doing it. So to make sure it wasn't just her being in a funny mood i put back on her normal saddle and she straight away, calmed down and chilled out. I also felt slightly on top of her in it and not very comfortable.
When we got home i tried a different fitter to come and try one on her. Again the same thing happened. It is proberly just her. I know alot of people love them, it just wasn't for us. My friends horses has one and while he goes nicely in it, i still feel more as though i'm sitting on top of him rather than being part of him like i used to in his old saddle.
I swear by my Wintec Pro dressage saddle and my Barnsby GP.
Like i said not everyone can like evrything. We all have our own tastes. Including my tempermental mare, who with no uncertain terms told me she didn't like it.

[Lgd]

Some horses don't like it and that is the same for any saddle, one of mine detests treeless saddles and refuses point blank to move in a Wintec (the points are too long for her), my other mare had a wintec for several years until the shape no longer suited her and was fine in it. That is why it is worth getting a fitter to come out and try one first.

[SBS]

As far as the trial goes, I can only (barely :p) afford a second hand one. As far as I know I'll not get a second hand one on trial. Also not sure how I'd go about getting a specific wow fitter out for a 2nd hand saddle?

this is the website that I am getting my 2 Wow's on trial from,

www.saddlesdirect.co.uk

if you put Wow into the search box then their 2nd hand stock will come up-
£15 to have them delivered & for you to try them for 3 days isn't bad!

The approved Wow fitter nearest to me is in Shropshire, but she was really helpful & friendly & is more than happy to come out to fit a 2nd hand model- she ONLY works with Wow saddles, so knows her stuff.

Good luck with your search, hoping mine fits my v large shouldered TB, have just sold my Wintec Isabell as it was slightly tight on her bull like shoulders, so fingers crossed that this can be tailor made to fit.

[Lgd]

Built like this? Peri is 7/8TB and this is her very unfit as Belle is only a few days old. Peri got her WOW before she was covered adn it enabled me to ride her until quite late in her pregnancy. I've always had major problems getting saddels to fit her and she ended up having three custom made ones before the WOW. Have had to get her WOW panels changed slightly as motherhood as significantly broadened her and she is more WB shaped than ever.

http://groups.msn.com/upsaddle2/lgd.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=16457